Following the highly positive feedback for the course in 2018, the Victorian Branch of Soil Science Australia is pleased to offer again in 2020, an introductory short course on soil science.

This short course will cover the fundamentals of soil science, including soil physical, chemical and biological properties, soil survey and classification, and understanding soil tests. This course will be useful for professionals who work with soils but have not formally studied soil science in the past or for those wishing to brush up on their soil science knowledge and revisit fundamentals.

Course presenters include:

Dr Vanessa Wong (CPSS): Senior Lecturer in Soil and Land Management, Monash University

Dr Gary Clark (CPSS): Lecturer, La Trobe University

Dr Clayton Butterly (CPSS) and Dr Bhawana Bhatta : Lecturers, University of Melbourne

Rebecca Mitchell: Land Management and Development Officer, Agriculture Victoria

Field Trip

The course will be followed by a field trip which will be open to all Soil Science Australia members and potential members, exploring several soil pits on the Dookie Campus and practical sessions on soil characteristics.

We highly encourage all participants to join us staying overnight at Dookie and then heading on the field trip the following day. For those who do, there will be a pre field tour walk up Mt Major and tour of the Dookie robotic dairy, for those interested.

The field trip will be open to others from Soil Science Australia and other interested community members who would like to spend a day with soil pits.

Registration Fee:

You can select to attend the Course: $250 (which includes lunch). You can add on dinner ($35), accommodation ($90) and the field trip ($40).

or

You can select to attend the Field trip only $45 (which includes lunch). You can add on dinner ($35) and accommodation ($90) if you would like to travel up the night before the field trip.

Below is our event outline

Thursday the 28th May

10:30am Course starts

4:30pm Course concludes

5:00pm Dinner and relaxed conversations

Friday the 29th May

Breakfast

Optional walk up Mt Major and tour of the Dookie robotic dairy

10:00am Field trip begins

3:00pm Field trip concludes

Please register by Friday the 1st May

For further information contact Dr Bhawana Bhatta bbhatta@unimelb.edu.au or Dr Gary Clark g.clark@latrobe.edu.au

Please note that if we do not get enough participants, then the course will be cancelled. You will be notified and receive a refund.

For those interested in attaining CPSS accreditation, this course contributes to CPSS requirements.